I Know You
by arielafina
Summary: Meet Thena Roma, a funny and quirky girl who at the moment is freaking out about her current predicament. It seems that she was transported into a world that she didn't believe to exist, and, like Alice, must learn to adjust to the strangeness. Grab your bonnets and top hats, ladies and gentlemen, because this ride's 'bout to get bumpy.
1. I Know You

Black Butler

It was a normal day. Well, as normal as my day gets. What I consider normal, most people would consider an unlucky day. My day usually involves me doing something awkward, or causing confusion, or being really confused. They're usually minor things, but it happens so much my friends nicknamed me the 'Slightly Confused'. It was a lighthearted joke, but you get the point.

Plus, I have a hyperactive imagination with the common side effect of daydreaming. It was the root of all my problems. My imagination was what usually led me to blurt out something strange and cause a few people to look at me oddly or just burst out laughing. But I didn't regret it; I like the way my mind works and I love making people laugh. Sometimes, I was so quick to connect one distant thing to another that people would end up not following my thought process at all.

My mom likes to complain that I am constantly changing the subject when we're talking, but to me, it's all connected. Let me give you an example. So I was chatting with my mom and she was telling me about a turtle she saw crossing the street, and because of that I thought of how slow a turtle was. And since I thought of it being slow, I thought of slowness in general and then thought of how slow school was during the day. And so, I told her about how bored I was during class and how it seemed that class dragged on forever. To her, it seemed that I was changing the subject by jumping from a turtle to school, when in truth I was continuing the conversation. Now, whenever I think she'll suspect that I'm changing the subject, I tell her how I got to that point.

Anyways, I was walking away from the university buildings and heading towards my dorm, when I heard a soft meow from a passageway between the biology students' dorms and the main building. I turned my head to look for the source but saw nothing. Where was it coming from? I really wanted to investigate but was afraid of going through the passageway, especially when the sun was beginning to set. Pouting, I turned and raised my foot up to march away, but again, I heard a meow. This time it was more urgent.

I began to feel worried; what if the poor kitty was hurt? I really loved cats and hoped this one was okay. This _was_ the reason I was learning to be a doctor- to help others. Although, I reluctantly admit, that I wasn't studying to be a vet.

I gripped the strap of my backpack and worked up the courage to go through the rapidly darkening passage. _This will be quick_ , I promised myself, _as easy as one, two, three_.

"Here kitty," I called out softly as I walked into the alley, "Where are you?"

I made soft meowing noises, hoping to get to come out, but knowing I sounded stupid.

The cat had fallen silent. Maybe it was offended by my sucky meowing?

It was too dark to see anything at this point, but what happened to me next seemed inevitable. I took one step forward and whole-heartedly expected to step on hard ground. Unfortunately, the universe seemed to have other things in mind.

My entire body tipped forward, and I went down the rabbit hole. I should've know my bravery would lead to me into making an extremely stupid decision. I should've known my luck wouldn't last. I was too much like a black cat.

"Gyaaaa!" I screamed as I fell though a portal, "What's happening!?"

After a few minutes of free falling, I made the decision to stop screaming. It wasn't going to help me anyways. I just crossed my arms and rolled on my back. This kind of reminded me of Spy Kids where… what was the girl's name? Julie? Juney? Or was that the brother's name? Whatever, the point was that I remembered a part where they were free falling like I was. Why am I telling you this? No reason. I just remembered the similarities.

I checked my watch to see how long I was falling, but it seemed to decide now was a good time to malfunction since the second hand was just ticking in place. Wait...what if this was like those sci-fi movies I watched and right now I'm moving through time? How was that even possible? How could a portal just randomly appear on Earth? I mean, sure I believed at some point humans would learn to time travel, but at such an early stage? I mean, would anyone be ready to know that we can time travel? If the world isn't ready, would the government lock me away? I wanted to curl up into a ball just thinking about all these questions.

I really hoped I wasn't going back in time, because if I did, people would try to burn me for being a witch just on the basis that my clothing wasn't normal. And I was wearing pants, too! Oh man, that would be the final blow to put the nail on my coffin since only men were allowed to wear pants. I would be seen as a cross-dresser, and they would most likely end me slowly and painfully. My body throbbed just thinking about it.

As if the world had enough of my turmoil, I felt the falling sensation slow down and saw a light below me. As I got closer, I began to realize it was an image of a grown woman with graying hair, wearing an expensive yellow ball gown, and delicately sipping tea in front of a garden. My eyes widened, knowing that this woman was most likely a noble, and if I landed in front of her, that would be instant death. Or on the other hand, she could help me out. I swallowed as I got closer and closer to the image, praying to whatever being was out there to make the lady benevolent and curious enough to let me live.

I fell through and let out a squawk as I hit the ground. I laid on my back in stunned silence as the sound of birds chirping filtered through my ears.

Once I regained my bearings, I went on my knees and clasped my hands together, "Please don't kill me, it was an accident!"

"There are no accidents," she replied calmly with a British accent, and continued sipping her tea. I blinked and realized it sounded like the turtle from Kung Fu Panda. Wow, maybe DreamWorks should get copyrights from her.

"Please, sit," she said and waved over to a chair placed next to her.

I slowly got up and tried to move gracefully towards the chair. I cautiously sat down, my whole body tense, and I wondered whether she was taking up time so that the guards could come and capture me.

"Tea?" she asked, holding up the teapot.

I grabbed a second cup, momentarily wondering why there were two if she was on her own, and held out my shaking hand towards her.

She smiled reassuringly, trying to calm my trembling, and poured me tea. I brought the cup of tea to my lips and blew at it.

"Hungry?" she inquired, pointing at some sandwiches piled in front of her.

Was I ever! I eagerly nodded and reached for some sandwiches, promptly devouring them the moment they reached my mouth. The lady watched with gentle amusement at my unladylike behavior.

From the corner of my eye, I saw her reach out to touch something above my head. I automatically ducked and covered my head, thinking it was a bug. I shrieked when I touched something fuzzy and tried to rip it off.

Instantly, pain coursed through me.

"Don't do that!" said the noblewoman, raising her voice slightly, "Those are your ears you're tearing off!"

What!? My ears? I put my hands where my ears were and felt them right in place where they should be.

"No...I have my ears right here, see?" I raised my hair to show her where my ears were.

She rolled her eyes and clapped twice in succession. Immediately, a young girl rushed in carrying a mirror. Handing her the mirror, the young girl bowed deeply and backed away without a single glance at me.

The lady beckoned me to come closer and handed me her mirror. I slowly raised it to my face, my heart in my throat.

Gasping, I realized what she had meant by saying I had ears. Two black, fuzzy cat ears sat regally on my head as if they had always been there.

"I also forgot to mention you have a tail," she murmured.

As if on cue, something warm and fluffy brushed against my hand. I snapped my hand away and looked at my rear. Ahh! She was telling the truth! I reached out for the black, fluffy tail to make sure it was real. Giving a few experimental tugs on the soft tail, I deemed it as very real and very attached to my body.

I crouched on the ground and put my head in my hands. I didn't trust my legs to remain standing at this point. My tail automatically curled around me. God, how could this happen!? As far as I knew, no one in my family was a were-neko.

I felt a gentle hand on my back and heard the woman say, "Guessing from your reactions, this is a new development, isn't it?"

I miserably nodded.

"It's not such a bad thing," she reassured me kindly, "Being a cute kitty isn't so bad."

I paused my wallowing for a moment to think about what she had said. She was right- I loved cats, and having ears and a tail was like a dream come true. On the other hand, people would think I was some sort of freak, and they might fear and bully me. Although, I _could_ cover my ears, and if I wore a Victorian dress, my tail would be easily covered. The more I thought about it, the more I realized how right she was. My positive side took the reins and I felt, in that moment, that I had a greater control over my situation. Maybe things weren't as hopeless as they seemed. I just needed to think positive.

I raised my head and nodded at her, "You're right. And thank you for putting my head on straight."

I gently squeezed her hand.

Her smile widened, "I didn't do much. It seemed you figured it out yourself."

I stood up, feeling energy course through me and saw the lady straighten as well, smoothing her dress. I realized I still didn't know the woman's name.

"What's your name?" I asked.

"It's Victoria, dear," she said with a mischievous twinkle in her eye, "What's yours?"

"It's Thena. Like Athena but without the 'A'."

I reached out my hand to give her a firm handshake but stopped when I saw her hesitate for a moment before smiling and proceeding to shake my hand. My eyebrows came together in confusion as to why she had hesitated.

Reading my mind, she responded, "My apologies, I am not accustomed to a handshake as only men do that in greeting."

Oh. OH! Well snap, I forgot about that. I sheepishly rubbed the back of my head and spluttered out apologies.

"It's fine, child, I find our interactions quite...refreshing, " Victoria said laughingly.

That was embarrassing!

Time seemed to fly by as I told Victoria how I had gotten there. I didn't want to divulge too much information about the future, fearing that I would cause something to change in history. Just by me being there I was changing things. But then again, maybe I was supposed to come to this time period or else the future wouldn't be the way it was as I knew it. Man! There were way too many theories! I rubbed my temples in irritation.

The sun was beginning to set by the time we were done chatting. Victoria rose and told me that there might be a possibility to send me back to my time. And tomorrow she would send me to someone who could help.

"Knowing him," she said in affectionate exasperation, "he would be the most likely person to stumble upon an anomaly. He's a magnet for strange things. And his butler is even stranger. But don't worry, you would be in safe hands with an order coming from me."

My eyes widened, if she thought they were strange and had calmly accepted _my_ dramatic entrance, then these guys were at another level of weird.

I yawned and Victoria smiled warmly, leading me to the room I would be staying in.

"If you need anything, just pull the cord over there," she pointed at a rope hanging from the ceiling near a large queen sized bed. "A servant will arrive in a few minutes to assist you."

I thanked her for her generosity and closed the door to get some shut-eye. Tossing my backpack to the floor, I didn't even spare a glance at my surroundings. I was fast asleep, curled up underneath thick blankets.


	2. You Should Be Dead

The next day I was woken with a jolt when a maid entered my room and flung open the curtains. Groaning, I rolled away from the light.

"Five more minutes," I whimpered.

"Now, now, my lady, you can't leave the q… Lady Victoria waiting," she said in a scolding tone.

I cracked open an eye to peek at the maid. She had white hair, but a completely youthful face. I didn't even know that hair color was possible. Maybe she dyed it. Did they have hair dyes in this time period?

I also noticed that she had purple eyes. Wow, this girl was full of anomalies. What would she have next? Wings?

I curved my body to the side as I asked her, "What's your name?"

She looked shocked for a moment that I had asked her her name before responding, "Angela, my lady."

"Call me Thena," I said, pointing my thumb at myself.

A small smile appeared on her face, "Of course my… ," she stopped herself, "... Thena."

A smile widened on my face and I rolled onto my stomach to stretch like a cat.

"What time is it?"

"It is seven o'clock, Thena."

"Urgh, kill me. It's the butt crack of dawn," I groaned into my pillow.

I heard a soft snort behind me, and a grin appeared on my face. I was glad I could make her laugh. Turning into a cat hadn't meant I had lost my touch.

I pulled myself out of bed and realized I had never changed since last night. I was still wearing my clothes from yesterday.

"What strange clothes," Angela murmured.

I sheepishly laughed and rubbed the back of my head, "Ah, yeah, um, it's pretty normal from where I come from."

She didn't push for more information, and I didn't give any. Instead, she turned and grabbed a red dress from a chair at the other side of the room and told me that this was what I would be wearing from now on.

I looked at the daunting task before me and gulped. I had no idea how to put on that type of dress, and no way in hell was I putting on a corset- those things were bad for your health!

As if sensing my trepidation, Angela kindly said, "I'm here to help you, of course. Do not worry, Q... I mean Lady Victoria told me a little of your situation."

Just how much information did Victoria share? I was starting to feel worried. If she couldn't hold her tongue then I was in big trouble.

"Take off your clothes," Angela ordered.

I did as I was told, but stated that under no circumstances would I wear a corset.

Angela just rolled her eyes muttering, "I knew it."

After thirty minutes of struggling and pulling back muscles, I managed to get into a Victorian dress.

 _I can check that off of my bucket list_ , I thought to myself.

I looked at myself through a mirror that was hanging off a wardrobe next to my bed. I looked like a lady. Well, other than my rat's nest hair and cat ears, I looked like a lady. I had always dreamed of wearing poofy dresses. This was like a dream come true!

I resisted the urge to squeal and instead opted for the next best thing: twirling around.

I watched as my dress swished and fluttered. This was so cool! The only thing I didn't like was how low the cut was. I felt so exposed, especially since I was well endowed in my top portions. Seriously, these people talked about showing as little skin as possible, and yet exposed their most private parts. I resisted the need to put a hand over my chest just to cover more.

"Do you have anything to cover this part?" I pointed to the top of my breasts.

"No, this is how the dress was made. But do not worry, all women dress like this, so you will not stand out."

 _Like hell, I won't stand out!_ I almost blurted out.

Angela sighed, "If you really want to cover more, I can style your hair to break the illusion of showing too much skin."

I beamed at her.

After a few painful wrenches and scalp stabbings, Angela had created a bun with black curly hair coming out from it to rest on my collar bone. I sort of looked like Disney's Belle when she was wearing her yellow dress.

Angela handed me a red bonnet to cover my ears.

I didn't worry about my tail, since it was hidden underneath my dress. Although, it felt pretty uncomfortable, if I do say so myself.

"Let's go," Angela said, turning around to open the door for me.

I waddled after her, the dress constricting a lot of my movements.

"Ahh!" I shrieked when my bare foot stepped on the cold tiles outside my room.

"What's wrong!?" exclaimed Angela.

"I'm not wearing shoes!" I said, leaping back into my carpeted room.

"Silly me, I forgot!" she said, lightly palming her forehead.

She pulled out a pair of black shoes that were laced with red and told me to sit down. I wanted to protest, but realized my dress wouldn't let me put them on; so, I plopped myself down and pulled up the dress to help her out as much as I could. I felt embarrassed; it was like I was a child.

Finally, we were done, and before leaving I checked to see if I had left anything behind. Seeing my backpack, I shot forward to grab it, nearly tripping over my dress.

Afterwards, Angela led me down a long hall to a large staircase where Victoria was waiting at the bottom. She was wearing an elegant blue dress with white lace at the bottom and around her wrists.

"Thena!" she said, smiling at me as I carefully descended down the stairs, "Today, I will be sending you off to the next step of your journey."

My stomach twisted nervously at the thought. I hope I didn't get an upset stomach. That would be a disaster. I could see it now: in the middle of the trip I would be groaning and clutching my stomach begging for death and there would be no bathroom. I got even more nervous just thinking about it.

"Do you guys have medication for upset stomachs or anxiety?" I asked, holding my stomach and already feeling bad.

"We can put Valerian in your tea to help calm you," suggested Angela.

"Okay, thanks," I said, relieved. I wasn't worried about this herb and whether it actually worked or not because my family used it in my time period to help ease my nerves.

We headed towards a large dining room furnished with golden and white furniture and walls. In the center of the room was a large marble table and placed on it were only two plates right next to each other. However, the table didn't look empty since it was filled with so much food.

My mouth began to water just looking at it. Pancakes, a cake, waffles, pastries, scrambled eggs, sausages, fruits, salad, assortment of breads, jams, and so much more I couldn't name.

A servant stood before us and bowed, "Breakfast is served."

Basically, it was an all you can eat buffet.

I pulled out my seat before a servant could and hurriedly grabbed my fork and knife to stab at some food.

"I was going to say dig in but I can see you're already doing that," murmured Victoria bemusedly.

I froze, remembering where exactly I was and pulled myself together. My actions could seem rude and no matter how nice Victoria was, as a rich lady she would snap much more quickly at my wild behavior.

I slowed down my chewing and took smaller bites. I straightened my back, making an effort to look graceful while cutting my food. I think my mom would be quite proud of my endeavor.

I flicked a glance at Victoria and saw she was leaning on her palm watching me with thoughtful eyes.

"I think you'll do well at the Phantomhive manor," she finally said after a moment of silence.

I guessed that would be the place I was going to.

I stopped eating for a moment to grab my Valerian infused tea and asked, "Who is in charge of the manor?"

"That would be Ciel Phantomhive, a thirteen year old boy," she responded after daintily dabbing a napkin at her mouth.

My eyebrows shot up. It was a child? I mean I get that people were forced to become mature earlier but wasn't thirteen _too_ young to be in charge of a whole manor?

"I know that look, you think he's too young. But he's not. He was forced to grow up because of… unpleasant circumstances."

I slowly nodded, still unsure.

She sighed, "Now see here, he may look like a child, but that boy has seen, heard, and done some things that no adult has. Whether you like it or not, that's how it is."

I had the feeling she felt bad for Ciel. But she also seemed reluctant to tell me exactly what Ciel had gone through.

I didn't feel like pushing because, frankly, I didn't care. I didn't know him, so why waste my time feeling sympathy or pity? And anyways, it wasn't her story to tell.

"Okay," I said simply.

"Okay?" she asked, stunned that I hadn't asked.

"Okay," I said firmly.

I rose, having lost my appetite, and said, "It's time for me to go."

"Yes, it is, "she said softly, also rising.

I straightened my dress before following Angela to the front of the estate. There, sat a small carriage with two horses standing perfectly still. Well, as still as horses can get.

As I neared the door, the coachman hopped down from his seat and opened the door for me.

"Thank you," I said and curtsied.

I put one foot in the carriage and stopped.

I turned and rushed towards the two women who had taken care of me. I stretched out my arms and hugged them both tightly.

"Thank you for taking care of me while I was a mess and confused," I said.

They both laughed and hugged me back just as fiercely.

"Take care, now, and never change who you are," Victoria said, scratching me behind my cat ears.

"And don't forget to wear your shoes," Angela added dryly.

I grinned at both of them and gripped the strap of my backpack to throw in the carriage.

After waving goodbye from the carriage I turned to face the scenery. After about an hour of driving - I had my cellphone with me - I wondered how long this trip was going to be.

I slid open the partition to speak to the driver, "Excuse me, sir, when will we reach Phantomhive manor?"

"In about an hour or so, miss," he responded with a deep Scottish burr.

Okay. Great. Another hour of boredom. Wait! I know!

I pushed my bonnet firmly in place and called out, "Stop the carriage!"

The carriage was drawn to a halt.

I leaped out of the carriage and marched to where the coachman was.

"What is it, miss?" asked the driver nervously.

I took a deep breath and clasped my hands together while widening my eyes innocently.

"Is it okay if I sit out front with you? It's really boring in the back."

I hoped I looked like a damsel in distress. He internally debated, probably deciding whether or not it was proper.

But of course no one can pass up spending time with _this_ lovely lady!

He finally nodded, and I smiled gratefully at him. He was probably bored too. He got up to help me but I shooed him back and pulled myself up. I could see he was looking at me curiously.

"Just who are you miss?" he asked.

"I'm just a girl from somewhere," I giggled waving my hand in front of me.

"No girl just waltzes out with the - never mind," he said frowning.

What is it with these people? They keep cutting themselves off whenever they speak about Victoria.

But it wasn't in my nature to push people for information. I really disliked causing people discomfort.

So I changed the subject and asked him different questions, such as his job, the different people he met, and about his family.

He seemed to light up as he spoke about himself and funny stories about the different people he had coached for.

See? This is what I liked to do. I liked to make people smile from their heart and feel comfortable around me.

I relaxed against my seat as the coach driver told me a story about his son. I smiled warmly and wanted to ask for his name but didn't have the heart to stop him in the middle of his story.

It was midday when the coachman stopped talking and realized that I hadn't said a single word other than, "Hmm," and "Uh huh."

"Oh my goodness! I'm so sorry! I was just babbling the whole time!" He spluttered.

I laughed, waving away his apologies, "Don't worry about it, it was very interesting to hear."

He relaxed again and hesitantly smiled back before saying, "We're almost here, miss."

I turned to look and lo and behold, giant gates appeared in the distance. I suddenly realized one small, tiny problem. What was I going to tell them?

'Hi how ya doin? What am I doing here? Oh I just need you to _find a time traveling portal for me!_ Ya thanks!'

Oh my god, why didn't I think of this before!?

The coachman turned to me and pulled out an envelope with a red seal on it and handed it to me.

"Here, q- _lady_ Victoria wanted you to give this to Lord Phantomhive."

Relief swept through me. Bless her soul! She just saved me!

The coachman pulled the carriage to a halt and jumped off to push open the gates.

He leapt back on the seat and took the reigns. I had a feeling he was just as nervous as I was.

I kept my eyes locked ahead of me when I saw a thin black figure standing in front of a huge manor almost as large as Victoria's. As we neared, I realized it was a man dressed in a black tailcoat.

Finally reaching the beautifully kept manor, the coachman brought us to a halt.

A slender, gloved hand reached for mine as I slid off the carriage seat. My head snapped up and I met crimson eyes.

I was nearly sucked in and forced myself to blink, trying to take in his whole face.

My god, what a beautiful man.

And it seemed he was just as frozen as I was, but his was a different sort of shock.

"How are you alive?" he whispered, gently placing a gloved hand on my cheek.

That snapped me out of my revery real quick.

"I'm sorry, what?" I asked, immediately pulling away.

He also seemed to pull away from his daze and gave me a flat smile and bowed, putting his right hand over his heart.

"Apologies miss, it seems I confused you for someone else."

"Yeah, because I'm pretty sure I never died in the first place," I grumbled, crossing my arms. "Right!" I said, snapping back to business, "I have a note here for Ciel Phantomhive."

I handed the man my envelope.

"Of course, follow me," he said taking the letter and turning.

I hesitated a few seconds and remembered that the coachman was still here.

I turned and thanked him for the fun trip, grabbed my backpack, and asked, "What's your name?"

"Bernie miss, and yours?" he asked.

I could swear I felt a burning gaze into my back, but I ignored it and just smiled and said, "Thena."

After waving goodbye I turned back around to see the man in the tux standing at the door, patiently waiting for me.

Since we were on the topic of names I realized I didn't know his, "What's your name?"

"Sebastian, I am a butler here," he responded, walking ahead of me.

As we came upon the main stairs, I saw a huge picture of a young boy who had dark blue-black hair with solemn, piercing blue eyes.

"Come along, you don't want to keep the master waiting," Sebastian said, making me realize I had stopped.

I sheepishly followed him when he suddenly stopped.

"You know, it's rude to have your hat on inside," he said flatly, turning around to grab my hat.

"Wha-" I exclaimed and dodged his hands. I fiercely pulled my hat down to make sure he wouldn't be able to tear it off.

I evaded his hands for a few more minutes until I couldn't take it any longer and shrieked, "Just listen! Oh my god, stop trying to grab my hat, you nitwit! If I'm wearing it inside it's for a reason!" I snapped.

Sebastian paused, tilting his head slightly, "Oh? Is that so?"

I relaxed my hold, thinking that he had stopped.

I saw a sly smile curve up his lips and BAM! My hat was torn off my head! I kid you not, it was ripped to shreds!

"Well, I do need to make sure you haven't hidden anything underneath that hat of yours," he said, looking quite pleased with himself. "And technically, you _were_ hiding something underneath your hat," Sebastian said smugly.

I gasped and desperately tried to cover my ears. I felt on the verge of tears. Everything that had recently happened seemed to pile up, especially with the frustration I was feeling right now.

His eyes widened, "Are you crying? Why are you crying!?"

I touched my face and realized tears were running down my face. I crouched down on the ground, trying to hide my face.

"Because you're a butt!" I bawled, "And when I'm frustrated or angry I end up crying!"

A few moments of silence, not including my sniffling, passed; I felt a gentle pat on my head.

"There, there," Sebastian said soothingly, "I'm sorry for being… a butt, is it?"

I snorted slightly, feeling laughter bubble in my throat.

"Yeah, a butt," I giggled, lifting my head to wipe away my tears.

When I did, I realized how close we were and my heart did a little dance. His hands went from pats to scratching me behind my ears.

A purr burst from my chest and I ripped myself away. I placed a hand over my chest, feeling extremely embarrassed.

Sebastian slowly rose up, looking at me curiously, "Did you just… purr?"

I shook my head fiercely, "No way! That wasn't me! You probably confused it with some other cat!"

"No, I'm pretty sure it was you," a predatory glint entered his eyes as he slowly walked towards me. I backed away, and raised my skirts, ready to bolt if I needed to.

"SEBASTIAN!" screamed a voice, "WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU!?"

God? Is that you?

"GET OVER HERE NOW!"

If it wasn't God, then my guardian angel.

Sebastian sighed disappointedly and paused his prowl. He flicked his finger at me and said, "After you, my lady."

In that moment, I made the conscientious decision to stay away from that man. He was a danger to my emotional stability and I couldn't afford to get attached, especially if I was going back to my time period.

With that thought in mind I fiercely strode past him without a single glance in his direction and headed towards the source of the voice.


	3. I Hate Exercising

Finally reaching the door where the voice had seemed to come from, Sebastian stepped in front of me to open the door. He paused slightly to let me go before him, then closed it after himself with a soft click. I marched straight towards the mahogany desk, where a young, fuming boy was sitting in a red chair. "Sebastian! Where were you!? And who is she!?" asked the boy who I guessed was Ciel. Sebastian strode forward and handed Ciel my letter. He bowed slightly, placing a hand on his chest and saying, "My Lord, this woman brought a letter with obvious urgency, considering the insignia on the letter…" Ciel's eyebrows shot up when he saw the stamp on my letter. What was so great about Victoria's crest? Maybe she was high on the nobility food chain? Ciel opened the envelope and smoothed out the letter. I awkwardly shifted from foot to foot as I waited for him to finish reading. I had no idea what it said, but guessing from Ciel's reaction it wasn't good, because the more he read, the deeper the creases in his forehead became. Did Victoria tell him the truth about me? "Calm down," Sebastian murmured, smiling at me. How did he know I was nervous? He directed his eyes at my ears and explained, "You are pulling your ears back." Oh! I tried to conscientiously raise my ears back up, but was unsure of what that was doing to my ears since I didn't have a mirror. I felt heat rise into my human ears. God, it's probably red. I don't blush, but there have been rare times where my ears have been red, and it wasn't even from embarrassment. This time they would be though. Ciel cleared his throat to draw my attention. I snapped my eyes back to him and awaited my sentence. He carefully clasped his hands together and asked me, "Would you like me to read the letter aloud? Considering it involves you and all." Could I read the letter, like, not aloud? But guessing I didn't have a choice, I just nodded. Ciel cleared his throat and began: "My dearest Ciel, "I have sent this letter of utmost importance with a young woman named Thena. This young lady has gone through quite an ordeal and so I ask you to have patience regarding her. I know you can already see where this is going, but I will ask you formally. Will you take her under your wing? I know you are not fond of strangers, but I can vouch for her even if she is a bit strange. All I ask is for you to bring her with you on your investigations and try to help her get home. She has an odd past - or should I say future - but I can promise you she tells the truth. "From Her Majesty Queen Victoria. "P.S. Please tell Thena that I do apologize for not telling her who I am; I only wanted someone to treat me as an equal for a day. I apologize for this old woman's weakness." My throat closed in panic, she was the QUEEN!? WHAT!? WHEN DID THIS HAPPEN!? Oh man, I ate like a pig in front of the Queen! I could put this on the top of my list of Most Embarrassing Moments Ever (a.k.a. MEME). "So," Ciel said, leaning forward, "what exactly is so great about you that the Queen of England had to write a personal letter and have you sent to me?" "Er," I scratched the back of my head, feeling my heart rate pick up, "you wouldn't believe me if I told you." Ciel leaned back, "Try me." And so I did, from beginning to end, trying to divulge as little as possible about the future for fear that it might cause a Butterfly Effect. At some point in between, we took a snack break and Sebastian kindly suggested to Ciel that I should sit down. Thank God for that because my legs were about to give out from exhaustion and nerves. Ciel munched on some crumpets and dark tea while I just drank the barely flavored tea since my mouth dried up quickly from dark tea. I didn't want to die from dehydration while telling my story. I would've loved for some of the crumpets Ciel was chewing on, but was too polite to ask. Ciel looked thoughtful and rested his chin on his fist, "So, in the future, men and women are equal?" "Almost; not all countries give that equality and even the countries that are considered equal still don't pass laws to force men and women to have equal pay," I explained. "I hope someday we will become completely equal, but for now, it's like we're at a limbo. Women can get the same jobs as men can, but sometimes it's harder, or we get lower pay." "You were studying to become a doctor?" he checked. "Neurologist," I affirmed. "Interesting, but you learn general medicine and diagnosing patients, right?" "Yes, but I'm on my second year so I'm still learning." I sat up straighter. Geez, I felt like I was at a job interview. I saw a mischievous sparkle in his eyes and immediately knew Ciel was up to no good. "Good, I have found a use for you on our investigations," Ciel said cheerfully. I protested, "But I don't have a doctor's license to give diagnoses!" Ciel merely shrugged, "Who needs a license nowadays? People are prescribed pills left and right." I gasped, "You demon!" Ciel snorted, and I heard a soft laugh from Sebastian. "I assure you I am no demon," Ciel paused for a moment before pointing at Sebastian, "on the other hand, he most definitely is." I immediately laughed, thinking it was a joke. After a couple of seconds, I realized that no one else was laughing. You could hear a pin drop in the silence. "Are you kidding!?" I screeched, launching myself out of my chair. Sebastian sighed, "My Lord, perhaps that was not the best way to tell her." I was mentally screaming. Ciel shrugged carelessly, "If she's with us on our investigations, I don't want her to get in the way." If he was a demon, was there such things as angels? If there were angels, were there fairies? Or unicorns? Or… Okay Thena, stop. Remain calm. I took deep breaths and pinched myself. I slowly sat back down and thought rationally. Okay, it would make sense since I'm some weird cat creature, which meant there would be other supernatural beings around. Once I thought of that, I felt calmer. Ciel stared at me, "You took this surprisingly well." "In my time- even though I never thought they existed- the concept of 'magical' and 'supernatural' beings are really popular. So a lot of people would be excited to be in my shoes." "What an odd time to live in," Ciel whispered, then in a louder tone, "In this time period, people would think they're in Hell and pray to God to save them." I saw Ciel sneer when saying the word 'God'. I tilted my head curiously; what did he have against God? But I didn't ask because each person had their own opinions and thoughts on religion. And I didn't feel like opening the topic. "So what should I do while I'm here?" I asked. Ciel shrugged, "Outside of our investigations, I honestly don't care what you do. You are my guest, so amuse yourself." Hmph, rude. But that would give a lot of free time to explore the grounds. I got up to leave but Sebastian grabbed my arm before I could turn to the door. "You must ask to leave," he explained. I gritted my teeth and swallowed my pride, feeling like a child, "Can I... no, _may_ I leave?" I felt like a kid again, asking the teacher to go to the bathroom. I hated the rules in this time period, especially asking a thirteen year old to leave the room- that was really demeaning. I was an American from the land of the free, dammit! Well, mostly free... if you have money. Oh, the irony. Ciel smirked as if seeing my struggle and waved me away like a fly. I wanted to punch him, but his demon butler would probably stop me. Not if it was a sneak attack… an evil grin formed on my face. I would get him when he least expected it. Not a punch because I'd get killed if I did that (Queen's letter or not), but something of an equal caliber. With that in mind, I strolled away, swinging open the door with a loud bang; a pile of bodies suddenly fell before me. I let out a surprised shriek and jumped back, smacking into Sebastian, who grabbed my shoulders and gently pushed me aside to deal with the bodies on the floor. "Now, now, now, what do we have here?" Sebastian asked in a dangerous tone. "A heap of naughty servants who are about to get punished." Wow, that went from zero to one-hundred real quick. "Seb… Sebastian," a red headed female squeaked, pushing herself up and shoving her glasses up her nose. That reminded me… I touched my nose where my glasses should have been resting. Nothing. There was nothing there. How was I seeing this so clearly? Was I wearing contacts? Blood roared in my ears and the sound of servants desperately making excuses faded out. I could see? My stomach trembled, and I felt tears prick my eyes. I could see clearly? Without relying on my glasses? Oh, my God. My vision suddenly blurred. "Oh no!" I cried, thinking my vision had gone bad again. I suddenly realized I was crying. "Thena? Why are you crying this time?" inquired Sebastian. This guy was probably thinking I was a crybaby at this point. I rarely cried as much as I had in this one day. "I can see!" I sobbed. "What do you… Oh! You mean you wore glasses before?" Sebastian asked. "Yes," I choked down another wave of tears and hid my face behind my hands. "I'm fine," I whimpered, and felt a hand touch my shoulder. I jerked away, "Please don't touch me, I don't like it when I'm like this around strangers." More like, I didn't like it when anyone saw me this way. It made me feel vulnerable and small. Sebastian sighed, "Don't be so stubborn." And then under his breath he mumbled, "You _were_ always like this…" He gave me a hug and said in a normal tone this time, "Soon enough we won't be strangers since you'll be living here, so this is okay," . I instantly turned to stone. GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! My tears miraculously disappeared, and I lifted my head to glare at him, "Release me this instant!" He smirked, "I told you hugs work- your tears are gone." I was going to kill him, "Of course they stopped, 'cause I felt uncomfortable!" Lies. I was just shocked, so they stopped. "Release me!" Hold me. "All right," he said and let me go. I pushed away from him and fiercely rubbed my face to wipe away the tears. This man was infuriating! Ugh, kill me now! "As much as this little drama was entertaining, I demand to be left alone," Ciel called from his desk. I jumped, having forgotten he was there. "Yes sir!" shouted a feminine looking boy. "Finny, don't shout," Sebastian said, exasperated. A blond man smacked Finny lightly round the head and just as loudly said, "Yeah Finny, don't shout!" Sebastian scowled, "That goes to you too, Bard." The redhead grabbed Bard and Finny's collars and hurriedly bowed while dragging them away, "Of course, sir, sorry, sir." Was she having a nose bleed? From what!? "Mayrin your nose is bleeding, wipe it… never mind," Sebastian sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose in frustration. A giggle left my throat before I could stop it. Soon I was full blown laughing while trying to cover my mouth to muffle it. Having a good cry always made me feel oddly bubbly inside. I felt light headed and swayed a little. Sebastian's eyes widened, "Have you eaten at all today?" "Just breakfast," I laughed, wow I was feeling dizzy. Maybe the stress was getting to me. Sebastian scowled, "I knew telling you I'm a demon was going to cause a bad reaction! You thought you took it well, but your body is telling you differently!" "It might be a combo of hunger, shock, and nerves," I mumbled. Sebastian grabbed my arm, "Come, I'll take you to the kitchen and get you something to eat. Do you have any allergies?" I shook my head and and trudged along next to Sebastian. I had a feeling he was slowing down so I could keep up. Going down the stairs was going to be the death of me. At one point Sebastian got too annoyed of going slowly and just lifted my up bridal style and strode to the kitchen. He set me down on one of the chairs there and began to make scrambled eggs with bacon, mmm. My stomach growled loudly, clamoring for food. I grinned and patted my stomach, assuring it that we were going to eat soon. "Did you just talk to your stomach?" Whoops, did I talk aloud? "Er, nope. That wasn't me!" I gave a half-hearted salute, trying to look as innocent as possible. Sebastian shook his head, a hint of an amused smile curving up his lips before turning back around to check on the eggs and bacon. Sebastian grabbed a plate, fork, and knife and set them before me. "There," he said with a satisfied look, placing his hands on his hips. I eagerly grabbed the fork and knife and dove in. After a few minutes of munching, I asked for some bread as well. Sebastian finally opened his mouth to ask a question, "What are you?" I paused, thinking that was the oddest question someone had ever asked me in my life. "Human, I think. But with my new cat features, I'm not so sure any more," I said, waving my fork around. "Maybe you're a demon?" he suggested. I began to choke on my bread. "Wha… what!?" I wheezed. Sebastian casually slid a glass of water towards me and continued, "I mean, you radiate the aura of a demon, look like a demon, and smell like one. The only difference is your soul." "How do I look like a demon?" I asked after drinking my water. "Demons take on the form of an animal or creature they are similar to. Those who have more control over their powers can change their appearances," Sebastian explained. "You seem to be a cat demon." My mouth formed an 'O'. "What about my soul? You said my soul was different." "What I meant by that is demons don't have souls, which is why we need to eat them to fulfill that void. But for some reason you still have your soul and can eat human food, which seems to sustain you quite well." I frowned, "Why do you think that is?" Sebastian gently tapped his chin, tilting his head slightly, "I have a theory, but I can't test it out… so it may not be right." I gave him a flat look, "Tell me anyway." Sebastian sighed, "I don't like giving out half-baked ideas, but... I think that you are holding on to your humanity far too tightly, which isn't allowing your full transformation- hence you also having a weak body." I scowled, "So I basically have to become cold and heartless to become a demon?" Sebastian shook his head, "No. What I mean is that your mind is holding you back. You believe that you are a weak human and need to eat human food to survive, and it's stopping you from reaching your full potential." This guy should be a pep-talker and scream, 'Just do it!' in the process. He makes it sound so easy. I snort, "Right, 'cause it's _so_ easy to change how I think." "People are stubborn believers that their minds can't be changed, and yet when they get sucked into cults… " Sebastian trailed off slyly. My eyes narrowed, "I'll have you know that I've tried hypnotism and it hasn't worked on me. What makes you think you can change my mindset?" Sebastian gave me a crooked smiled, "With daily training and mind exercise, I am almost one-hundred percent sure I can change your mindset." The guy sounded like some sort of shady advertisement. All he needed was to add the cost of the training to really fit the bill. "So… how are we going to do that?" I asked suspiciously. Sebastian's smile widened into evil glee, " _I_ won't be doing anything, it's all going to be on you." And that's how I spent the next two hours screaming and clutching Sebastian's legs for dear life to keep him from dropping me from the top of the manor. "I want to live!" I cried for the fiftieth time. Sebastian pinched the bridge of his nose, his calm demeanor already breaking, "Thena, how many times do I have to tell you? YOU ARE NOT GOING TO DIE." I whimpered and tightened my hold of his legs. I heard him hiss under his breath and say, "That's it, I'm not going to play nice any longer." He put his hands under my armpits and lifted me up. "No!" I wailed, desperately trying to grab at something, but Sebastian was too strong. My tail wildly whipped back and forth, having been freed after Sebastian's orders to change for our lovely 'exercise'. He held me in the air, leaving me dangling over an extremely high drop. It was time for extreme measures. My ears drooped, and I did my best interpretation of puppy eyes (kitty eyes?), "You like cats, don't you? You wouldn't drop this cute kitty cat to her death?" Sebastian paused for a moment but then said, "Sorry, puppy eyes don't work on me. Besides, you'll thank me afterwards." And then he dropped me. To my death. 


	4. A Ship Has Sailed

I screamed as I fell.

The first thought that ran through my mind was, "asahgdfkjaghdahgdfkj."

The second thought was, "Screaming is not going to help my predicament- I might as well shut up."

And the third was, "Damn it! How could the puppy eyes not work?"

I opened my eyes and watched as the ground drew closer and closer. My fall felt like an eternity. Slowly, my body began to horizontally lay itself out.

Numbness seeped through my body, reminding me of my fall through the portal. Suddenly, white hot rage seeped through my body. I didn't ask for this! I didn't want to leave my world behind to end up in this situation, away from my family and friends in a foreign time and place. It was so unfair! God dammit, I DIDN'T WANT THIS TO BE MY END!

AND IT SURE AS HELL WASN'T GOING TO BE MY END.

My body went on autopilot and my hands and legs stretched out to catch myself. My tail extended out to keep my body balanced. My vision sharpened, allowing me to gauge the distance as the ground got closer; the tension in my arms changed accordingly.

WHAM!

I smashed into the ground, powerful jolts running up my arms and legs. I managed to hold my face only a few inches from the ground. I briefly wondered if this was what parkour runners felt. Slowly, I stood and looked at the distance I had fallen.

Any normal human would've died from that height and if they hadn't, their bones would have been broken. I should've at least rolled after I hit the ground to lose the velocity and momentum. I had seen parkour runners do that after a long jump.

Although… mine wasn't exactly a jump, per se.

It was more like a fall to my death.

I raised my eyes to glower at Sebastian, only to find he wasn't there anymore.

"Have fun?" Sebastian asked from right beside me.

I shrieked and stumbled away, waving my arms wildly.

I fell flat on my butt, my teeth clattering.

"Ouch," I whimpered, rubbing my butt.

"Still fell in the end," he sighed.

"Well, _excuse me_ ," I let out a cat-like hiss, "not all of us can flawlessly land after falling from extreme heights. And even then, I was under extreme duress, so EXCUSE ME for being clumsy when you scared me."

I angrily got up to brush myself off and storm off.

"Wait… I'm… sorry. I was being callous. I'm just not used to teaching a demon completely from beginning. They usually know the basics," Sebastian gave me a pleading look.

I felt some of my anger dissipate. My shoulders slightly slumped and I grabbed a hold of my poofed-up tail, trying to smooth it out again. Was it poofed up because I had been angry or scared? Or maybe both?

I shifted from foot to foot then said, "Maybe next time try from lower heights, yeah? 'Cause I really thought I was going to die. It's not a good feeling."

"Okay," he said quietly, looking down with a guilty expression.

Seeing him so crestfallen made my anger disappear completely and I reached out to tousle Sebastian's hair.

"Next time just be more aware, okay?" I smiled brightly, still patting his head.

He peeked up at me, a soft expression entering his eyes. I giggled at his reactions- he reminded me of a child that had just gotten scolded and was now trying to regain his parents' affections by acting timid and shy.

"It's been a long time since someone has touched me like that," Sebastian whispered once I stopped petting him.

My eyes widened, "How long exactly?"

"A couple of centuries. We are demons, after all, and not very loving at that," he muttered.

"Oh, you poor baby," I cooed, and then stretched my arms out, "You can get your daily dose of hugs from Mama Thena."

My grinned widened teasingly, to show I was messing with him.

A mischievous look entered his eyes and a cheshire grin spread on his lips, "I'm going to hold you accountable for that. Although I'd prefer you not to be my mother."

My eyes widened, "I was kidding!"

"No. No take backs."

"Uh, yes, yes take backs."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"YES."

"NUH UH."

"CHILDREN," Ciel screeched from behind us, "I've been calling your names since you dropped Thena from the sky."

I grinned, glancing over at Ciel, "Ooh, rejected."

Ciel's cheeks flushed, and he scowled at me. But then he schooled his features and said, "I wasn't rejected, you are just deaf."

I rolled my eyes, "Sure, sure, whatever you say."

"Well, I'll leave you two to your little chat," I said airily and strode off, but not before tousling Ciel's hair.

"Hey!" I heard him shout. "Come here! I was going to talk to you, too!"

I paused; he wanted to talk to me? I walked back to Ciel as he struggled to fix his hair, which I didn't think was very hard since his hair was straight.

I giggled and reached out my hand to help him, but Ciel smacked my hand away saying, "Don't even think about messing up my hair again."

I shook my head, "I was trying to help you fix it." I reached out again. This time Ciel didn't stop me, but had a disbelieving look on his face.

"So what did you want to say?" I asked, fixing his hair.

"Hm?" he asked, "Oh right, I wanted to say that you should pack your bags. We're going to go to a villa out south for an investigation."

"A villa?" I muttered. Excitement washed through me- I couldn't get enough of these big houses!

"You shall be taking the role of my sister, and Sebastian will be your husband," Ciel continued. "I trust you will be able to play out this role?"

That wasn't a question, it was obviously an implied command. Dammit!

I jerkily nodded, my body trembling with nervousness. This was going to get awkward.

"Of course, young master, we wouldn't do anything to give away your investigation," Sebastian purred, smirking at me. "We will be the purrfect love-struck couple," he said slinging an arm around my shoulder.

Damn him! Dammit all!

My stomach twisted, and I bolted away from Sebastian the moment Ciel turned around to leave.

"You can't run forever!" Sebastian's smug voice called out.

"Watch me!" I snapped.

I fled to my room, slamming the door behind me. I clutched a hand over my pounding heart. This can't be happening, this can't be happening, this…

"Thena?" called May-Rin, "I just saw you run into your room, yes I did, are you okay?"

Can't a girl catch a break?

"Um, yeah!" I shouted, "I'm perfectly fine! Just give me a minute!"

I quickly took deep breaths, trying to control my trembling. I wasn't excited even the smallest bit to play house with Sebastian, nope not the slightest!

I would never admit it even if it killed me! I could absolutely not succumb to my feelings. It would hurt a lot to leave him and the rest of the Phantomhive household behind if I grew attached.

Reign in your emotions! I focused on my breathing and grabbed ahold of my control.

I calmly walked towards my door and opened it.

"See?" I smiled, spreading my hands. "I'm perfectly fine."

May-Rin looked relieved, "That's good, I was worried when I saw the look on your face."

"What look?"

"You looked happy, and at the same time you were panicked," she explained.

Wow, May-Rin was sharper than I had given her credit for.

I smiled tightly, "I'm alright now, I was just worried about my mission."

"Mission?" May-Rin asked, tilting her chin.

"Er, more like I'm worried about the role I have to play," I admitted, feeling like I could trust May-Rin about my situation.

I stepped back, swinging the door wider, "Come inside, I'll tell you about it."

After explaining my (emotional) situation, May-Rin was silent for a moment.

Then she said, "You can't stop it."

"Huh?" I asked, confused.

"Love. You can't stop love," she said simply. "Trust me, I've tried."

A grin curved up my lips, and I wiggled my brows, "Ooh, who's the lucky guy?"

May-Rin flushed, "N...No one, miss!"

"Do tell," I said, delight lacing my voice.

"Well… do you remember the cook? The one who smacked the younger boy upside the head?" May-Rin blushed heavily.

"Awww," I cooed, "how sweet!"

May-Rin smiled sadly, "But I can't seem to find the opportunity to tell him. And I don't think he likes me like that."

I frowned, "Then he's just stupid."

"Thena!" May-Rin giggled.

"That's right", I said crossing my arms, "he's stupid, stuuuuuuuuuuuupid. Baka. Dumb-butt. An idiot."

At this point May-Rin was full out laughing and clutching her stomach. I grinned, happy to make my new friend laugh like that.

"Thena," she said between laughs, "you're so mean."

"Gasp, you caught me!" I dramatically placed a hand over my heart.

I straightened up after a few seconds, "In all seriousness, I will do my best to help you out, but I've never been in a relationship before or tried to get someone's attention like that." Then, I raised my hand for dramatic effect, "However, I have read tons of books, observed others, and read actual advice, so… hopefully that counters my inexperience."

May-Rin beamed and threw her arms around me, "You're the best, yes you are!"

I laughed and hugged her back just as tightly, "We girls have to stick together! Plus, what are friends for?"

Our little friend fest was cut short when there was a knock on the door.

"Oy, ya in there?" shouted Bard through the door.

I grinned and turned to May-Rin, nudging her. I wiggled my brows at her teasingly before calling out, "I'm in here with May-Rin! Gimme a minute!"

"'Kay, but hurry it up in there," he muttered.

May-Rin giggled nervously, "We'll be out shortly!"

"Is my hair good? And my dress?" she hissed at me.

"Girl, you're fine!" I said after making sure nothing looked out of place on her.

"Now that I've told you, it makes it all the more real," she mumbled, covering her red face.

I laughed and pushed her towards the door. Opening it, I saw Bard nervously pacing back and forth. Upon hearing the sound he look up and said in a relieved tone, "There you are! I've been looking all over for you!"

"Who exactly?" I asked leaning against the door frame, blocking May-Rin from coming out.

"May-Rin, of course. She has to help me cook the meals! Sebastian's orders!" He said, looking embarrassed.

Why was Bard looking embarrassed over Sebastian's orders? I shifted a little to let May-Rin through.

Bard grabbed her arm, "Hurry up! We're going to be late!"

May-Rin shot me a panicked look, but I just gave her a thumbs up.

'Go get him tiger' I mouthed at her.

The last thing I saw was Bard's pink ears. A grin formed on my face. That sneaky, sneaky man. He had lied about Sebastian's orders, that was why he was embarrassed. He just wanted alone time with May-Rin. I clasped my hands together in delight and twirled happily. It was like I was fangirling in real life!

A voice spoke next to me, "Bard just lied about my orders."

I just smiled widely at Sebastian and said, "I know, isn't it adorable?" And slammed the door in his face.


	5. Mey-Rin Nose(haha get it?)

Hey guys! I know it's been forever *blows nose*

But the chapter is up and running, thank you to one of my readers for motivating me to move my butt and get writing! I just started my first year of college so I've been pretty much distracted from writing.

But here's that chapter, hope you like it!

Chapter 5

After slamming the door in Sebastian's face, I started packing for the trip. My pants and t-shirt from my time? Check. Undergarments? Check. A dress? Che- wait a minute. I can't wear this old ass dress! I'm supposed to be Ciel's sister. His _rich_ sister.

"Ciel!" I shouted, bursting into his study.

Ciel and Sebastian, who were poring over documents, both snapped their heads up.

"Have you ever heard of knocking?" Growled Ciel irritably.

"Yes, I have, but that's not the point!" I exclaimed. "Ciel! I don't have a dress!"

Ciel's eyebrows shot up, "I'm quite sure you're wearing one right now."

I smacked my forehead, "I know that, I'm not an idiot! What I mean is that if I'm playing the role for your sister, aren't I supposed to have fancier dresses?"

Ciel let out an exaggerated sigh, "I know that, I just wanted to see how much time it took for you to realize it." He stood up and snapped his pocket watch closed, "It took you exactly thirty minutes and ten seconds."

I rolled my eyes; if he was trying to get a reaction out of me, it sure as hell wasn't happening.

"Well? What are you going to do about it? 'Cause I sure as hell ain't got no money," I said, crossing my arms and jutting my hip out.

Ciel huffed, "What am I? Chopped liver? I'll pay for all the expenses."

I turned away, desperately trying to hide the evil grin growing on my face, " _All_ expenses?"

Unaware of what he was stepping into, Ciel said, "Are you deaf? I said I'll pay for the expenses."

I whirled around to Sebastian, pointing my finger at him, "Sebastian, you have this down, don't you?"

Sebastian smirked, giving a small bow, "Of course, my lady."

I rubbed my hands gleefully. Time for some shopping.

Five hours and twenty stores later, we were walking back with a pile of boxes precariously teetering in Sebastian's arms.

I was cheerfully humming while Ciel, walking next to me, was groaning about there being a huge dent in his bank account. Ah, revenge was sweet. That would show him not to diss my IQ points next time.

I was an aspiring doctor, dammit!

"Ciel, you're the best little brother ever!" I cooed, pinching his cheek.

He let out a hiss and smacked my hand away. I raised my hands up in mock surrender, a grin tugging at my lips.

Once we got home, Ciel told me to pack these things away in a couple of suitcases from the basement.

Where the hell was the basement?

Seeing my confusion, Sebastian, having already put the luggage in my room with his demon speed, stepped in and told me he would lead me there. I sped after Sebastian, getting closer to him with each passing room, as we reached the creepy-looking part of the Phantomhive mansion.

The air seemed to be stale and unmoving, and the candle light in Sebastian's hand created shadows all along the narrow hallway. My eyes wandered curiously towards multiple closed doors.

I tugged on Sebastian's tailcoat, "Sebastian? What's in those rooms?"

Sebastian paused for a moment and said, "Nothing of interest. It is for our more _unpleasant_ guests." A smirk flashed across his face, "We put them there when they get too... rowdy."

I shivered at the implication and was just thankful I had Queen Victoria's backing.

We continued down the hallway, finally reaching the basement door. I came to a sudden halt. It looked as if it was sucking all the light in the area. Even the candle Sebastian was holding seemed to get dimmer.

"Um, Sebastian?" I squeaked, "Maybe this isn't a good idea..."

Sebastian seemed momentarily delighted by my fear, but then collected himself when I sent him a glare.

"It's perfectly safe," he reassured, "Nothing but a couple of cobwebs."

I gulped- cobwebs meant spiders, and I _hated_ spiders. The small ones I could kill with my hands, but the big ones... a shudder ran down my spine. I shook myself, rubbing my hands up and down my arms, feeling goosebumps rise.

Sebastian rolled his eyes, "Come now, they're just a bunch of spiders. They're more afraid of you than you are them."

I growled, my ears pulling back, "That's what they want you to think. I can tell they're evil; every single one. They glare at you with a bunch of beady little eyes, just waiting to land on you when you're not watching."

Sebastian chuckled, "This will be hilarious when you meet Claude..."

I blinked, "Who's Claude?"

"A man who loves spiders."

I gasped. Who could love spiders!? What deranged maniac would go as far as to say they LOVED spiders!?

"We're here," Sebastian said cheerfully.

"What?" I asked confused.

Sebastian turned to me, "While you talked about spiders, we were walking down the stairs of the basement, but you didn't notice since you were so absorbed in your monologue."

I huffed, my tail swishing angrily. I immediately stopped the motion when I realized I could hit a bunch of cobwebs.

Suddenly, a random gust of wind blew and we were thrown into darkness.

"Oh, my, my, it seems our candle is out," said Sebastian, sounding oddly happy about it.

What the freak was wind doing underground!?

"Sebastian," I whimpered, "where are you?"

I reached out blindly, and felt him grab my hand, pulling me close. Too close for comfort. I may be afraid of the dark and spiders, but like hell was I going to cower and cling to him.

"Oy! You're too close!" I muttered, elbowing him. It didn't seem to do much.

"Now, now, how could I leave a helpless young lady to her own devices?" He crooned, tightening his arms around my waist.

I'll kill him! I'll seriously murder this man!

"You did this on purpose!" I gasped, still trying to pull away.

"How in the world would I know Ciel was going to send you to the basement?" He asked with amusement.

"Gah! That's not what I meant! The wind! The candle!" I spluttered.

"Are you suggesting, somehow, I _miraculously_ caused wind to blow out the candle?" He teased, his red eyes glowing.

"Yes! Damn you! That's exactly what I meant!" I shouted.

Sebastian made a tsking noise, "No need to shout. Think logically, how would I be even able to make wind?"

"All sense of logic disappeared the moment I met you!" I groaned, banging my head against his chest.

"Why, thank you."

"That wasn't a compliment!"

He didn't respond, making me sigh, giving up. I was too tired to even fight back at that point.

"See? Wasn't that easy?" He asked, resting his head on mine.

He was warm, which surprised me. I didn't realize demons could generate body heat.

I pressed my cheek against his chest as we quietly swayed together, relaxing in each other's arms.

Never in my life would I consider a basement romantic- as I had done now. If someone had told my past self that I would consider hugging in a basement as romantic, I would think they're nuts. Maybe I should change my views on basements...

Suddenly, there was a flapping of wings behind me, making me jump in place.

Nope never mind, I thought as I buried my face in Sebastian's chest, my tail curling around us protectively.

Turns out the flapping was a bunch of bats.

Gross.

I had seen way too many movies where they go straight into a woman's hair.

Thank God (can I even do that anymore?) that we were finally out of the basement and heading towards my room. Sebastian was lugging two gigantic suitcases behind him.

I threw open the door, groaning at the sight of the pile of boxes from our recent shopping. "Time to get packing," I sighed.

Once he put the luggage in my room, he headed out to make dinner, only pausing to say, "I'll send for Mey-Rin to help you."

"Okay!" I said, perking up at the thought of my new friend. "Bye!" I called after him, sitting on the bed and tucking my legs underneath me.

Suddenly, in a single whoosh, Sebastian appeared in front of me and leaned down to give me a feather-light kiss on the cheek.

I sucked in a sharp breath, putting my hand on my cheek and staring at him with wide eyes.

"Be good," He murmured, looking at me with heavy lidded eyes and disappearing without a trace.

"You're dead Michaelis!" I shrieked, my voice cracking.

I was too stunned to move for a few seconds. Then all of a sudden all the blood rushed into my face. I fell back on the bed, covering it with my hands. I couldn't believe him! This was so embarrassing! So much for not getting attached!

A few minutes later, Mey-rin showed up, not suspecting a thing. To distract myself, I immediately pestered her about what happened with her and Bard when he had called her for help.

She turned pink and stuttered, "W-what ever do you mean?"

I grinned, leaning forward, "Come one Mey Mey, I know you're hiding something."

She let out a squeak and looked at anywhere but me.

"Come on," I teased, "It can't be _that_ bad."

She flushed into an even deeper red. I just stared at her, grinning like Cheshire cat.

May-Rin, finally giving in, quickly looked around conspiratorially with burning red cheeks and whispered, "We, well... we, um... how do I say this?"

I leaned even closer, oh, this was going to be juicy!

She fidgeted with her dress and looked down shamefully, "We touched..."

I trembled in anticipation.

"...hands," she squeaked, covering her face in embarrassment.

I nearly fell off of the bed.

How scandalous!

Even though I was disappointed, a bubble of humor rose through me.

I let out a dramatic gasp, "Mey-Rin! How could you!? Shame on you young lady! I can't believe you touched his... his...," I lowered my voice, " _that_ part."

She flushed and nodded her head vigorously, completely in agreement with me.

"I'm shameful," she groaned, covering her face. "What do I do?"

I nodded my head, "Now you will have to live the rest of your days as a nun, and pray to God to forgive you for such a transgression! And you can love no one but God. So you'll die miserable and alone, wishing for a life beyond, but it will forever be out of your grasp. But don't worry my dear, you won't be alone, I'll come to visit every once in awhile to pray for you soul." I gave her a sympathetic look.

She looked at me through her fingers, with a horrified expression on her face.

"How will I manage?" She howled. "I want to get married, and have children, retire from my job, have three hamsters and a cat... "

And she went off listing a million things she wanted to do but couldn't, as if she was already a nun.

That's it, I couldn't take it any more. I just started laughing, and laughing, until tears ran down my face.

"You were teasing me!?" She shrieked.

"I can't...," I gasped, "believe... you took... me seriously!"

I finally managed to calm down from my laughing high, wiping my tears away.

"Are you really embarrassed from just touching his hand?" I asked, a smile still on my face. "If you think that's bad you should see me and Seb..." I trailed off, "...Seborrheic dermatitis."

A sly smile curved up Mey-Rin's face. Now the tables had turned.

"You didn't mean... oh, perhaps..." she tapped her cheek, tilting her head slightly and giving me a suggestive look, "... our lovely Butl-"

I immediately cut her off, slamming my hand over her mouth. That bastard could be listening in! He always had the worst timing! Well, more like good for him and bad for me.

"I meant Seborrheic dermatitis! It's a skin condition!" I shouted.

Mey-Rin pushed my hand away and raised her eyebrows, "You have a relationship with a skin condition?"

I nodded my head furiously, "Yep, I have great relations with my skin! In fact down in the basement-"

I gasped, nearly exposing myself.

It's all that idiot Butler's fault!

Mey-Rin cackled like an evil witch out to hunt innocent children. "So this incident with your 'skin' happened in the basement did it?"

I pouted, crossing my arms, muttering, "You don't deserve to be a nun. You'd just send everyone to hell."

Mey-Rin was not deterred, "You may have tricked the rest of the household, but, whatever you did in the basement..."

"Mey-Rin!" I gasped, "Your nose is bleeding!"

She immediately, brought out tissues from her pocket murmuring, "Oh dear me, this only happens when my imagination gets too wild."

ABORT! ABORT!

"What the heck Mey-Rin?" I complained. "Your imagination really has no boundaries, it frick'n raised your blood pressure."

"What do I do?" Mey-Rin asked, panicking.

"Lay back down, while holding your nose," I commanded.

And that was basically how our packing went. I would tell her what's up between me and Sebastian(which was nothing, of course), she would start nose bleeding all over the place(if I accidentally let something slip), and I would freak out that she's getting it all over my clothes.

Finally finishing packing, I sat on the last luggage while Mey-Rin tried to close it.

Once we were done, we flopped on my bed and just lay there, unmoving.

"I'm dead," I groaned. "My arms hurt."

"Me too," Mey-Rin whimpered.

I closed my eyes for a few minutes. Or what I thought was a few minutes.

"Rise and shine," Sebastian called, bursting into the room.

I inhaled sharply, snapping my eyes open, my body going on automatic. I flipped out of the bed and launched myself at him, knocking him on the ground.

I froze, realizing I was reaching for Sebastian's throat to strangle him. Sebastian smirked, on hand casually pushing my hand away while putting the other on my hip.

"As much as I like this position, Ciel has been nagging me to wake you up for dinner," Sebastian purred.

I blinked, looking down and realized I was sitting on him. I glared at him, baring my teeth, and jumped off.

I held out my hand to help him up without a single comment. I wasn't going to respond to his perverted observation.

I heard a giggle, and realized Mey-Rin was still in the room.

I turned to look at Mey-Rin who was beaming at us. She rose from my bed, stretching, and said, "You two are good together."

I sputtered a reply, "We're not together!"

"Is that so?" Murmured Sebastian, suddenly wrapping his arm around my waist. "And here I thought we had something after what happened in the basement..." He trailed off suggestively.

I let out a strangled gasp, opening my mouth the give a sharp retort, when Mey-Rin cut in.

"I knew it!" She shrieked, her nose starting to bleed again. "You guys did do something!"

I started forward, but Sebastian held me in place, "Mey-Rin! Don't believe him! That's a lie! He made it sound-"

I realized Mey-Rin wasn't even listening, she was just gazing dreamily into the distance.

Suddenly, her brown eyes focused sharply on me, and she asked, "How many will you have? What will be the names of your children? Are you going to get married? Where will you live? Here? Or will you have your own place?"

My mouth hung open, completely stupefied. Didn't she just hear me!?

Sebastian answered for me, "Two would be nice. Leucetius and Lilith. In a sense. Where we live depends on Thena."

My mouth hung open, had he seriously decided on everything on the spot!?

The first thing that came out of my mouth was, "Hey wait a minute! Don't I get a say on our children's names!? And what do you mean we'll get married 'in a sense'?"

I crossed my arms huffing, "I refuse to live as a married couple does without actually getting married! What would my parents say!?"

Sebastian brought his mouth to my ear, whispering in a low voice so Mey-Rin wouldn't hear, "That would not be a good idea, we cannot get married before _Him._ "

I turned my head slightly to look at him, my nose brushing his cheek, "Are you kidding me? Do you mean God?"

Sebastian scowled at the word.

I blinked in shock, "What? Will He blast us to pieces the moment we step foot in a church?"

Sebastian shook his head uncomfortably, "It's not _Him_ I'm worried about, it's if other demons find out about our marriage... let's just say that showing any sway in the direction of those disgusting Angels might cause the Lord of Hell to be very, very, angry."

My eyes widened, "How can he know?"

"Getting married at a Church, will cause my dark powers to disappear momentarily. And as a high class demon, I own a large territory whose whole essence runs on my powers. Without it, everything will cease to a halt, even if for a short amount of time. If that happens, all the demons residing on my lands will know and so will Lucifer."

I grabbed Sebastian's hands, my eyes shining at my genius plan, "Then we can do a small ceremony, just exchanging vows and rings! Without a church or a priest!"

Sebastian's eyes softened, his lips curving up into a genuine smile, "I would lo-"

I heard a voice clear their throat and say, "So you're actually getting married?"

I snapped my head towards Mey-Rin, my eyes widening in horror because I had forgotten she was still here!

Sebastian muttered besides me, "I can't believe I forgot she was here..."

I tore myself away, the spell breaking, as I realized that we had just been planning out our wedding. What happened to not getting attached!? My tail twitched agitatedly.

I crouched down, putting my head in my hands. "God damn it!" I cursed.

It seemed I was sinking in much faster than I was expecting.

Glossary:

LEUCETIUS: Gallo-Roman myth name of a god of thunder, meaning "white light."

LILITH (לִילִית): Hebrew form of Sumerian , meaning "of the night."The oldest story considers _Lilith_ to be 's first wife. In an Armenian story by Avetic Isahakyan God made her from fire while Adam was made from the Earth. She and Adam could never get along, he who was slow like the earth and she nimble like fire. Instead, she fell in love with Satan, who was just like her in nature, firey. She fled with Satan in the shape of a snake away from the Garden of Eden. God later created Eve as a "helper" from Adam's rib so she could never leave him like Lilith. "But though Adam's lips said Eve, but his soul always echoed Lilith."

This story was extremely romanticized from the original, and I even felt bad for Adam. I really like this story, however, my inner feminist protests greatly because of the reality of it. Because unlike Eve, Lilith was Adam's equal in every way. She was willing to argue with him if they didn't see eye to eye. And felt free to leave him if she didn't feel happy. She was comfortable with her sexuality and felt equal dominance and strength to Adam. Adam didn't like this and was constantly trying to control her, causing her to feel fed up and leave. And so God ended up creating Adam a "helper". Eve. Eve was no longer Adam's equal, because from the moment of her creation she was considered the helper.

"Why not give Lilith her rightful place in history as the first feminist, who claimed herself equal to Adam and refused to become subservient, who saw Adam's relationship with Eve as an unacceptable betrayal. In short, she demanded to lie next to him and not under him, be his partner, rather than simply his helper. She demanded to be considered a woman in her own right."

-Quote from article: On International Women's Day, A History of Lilith. Was She a Demon or the First Feminist We Know

"This Sumerian and Hebrew Goddess, once honored for her wisdom, freedom, courage, playfulness, passion, pleasure and sexuality in pre 2300 BCE, was portrayed as a demon by Levite priests at the dawn of patriarchy. Her liberationalist attitude and assertive behavior was threatening to the emerging patriarchal society, and led to her expulsion from Eden to be replaced by the more subservient Eve."

-Quote from website the BroomCloset, article: Lilith – The First Feminist Goddess

My inner feminist made me feel strong need to share this with you guys. I'm not sure if it will have a big impact on my story. But who knows ;) Maybe book two.


	6. You're Cute

After that embarrassment, Sebastian and I went to the dining room for dinner(finally!). I happily burst into the room as usual, with utter disregard for propriety. Ciel was sitting at the head of the table, scowling as usual. I pulled out a chair, plopping myself down right next to him and reaching for a fork when my hand stopped.

There was an array of forks, knives, and spoons, all in different sizes all laid out before me. What was going on?

Sebastian spoke from behind me, "This will be your quick-and-dirty-get-to-know-your-utensils guide to eating with etiquette."

Damn.

I twiddled my thumbs nervously, "So… when do I actually get to eat?"

Sebastian leaned down, bringing his face next to mine and giving me a sickly sweet smile, "When you learn how to use your utensils properly."

And that, ladies and gentlemen, was when I spontaneously combusted.

Or I wish I did.

I let out a groan, surrendering to my fate. "Okay," I sighed, "Let's get this over with."

Five hours. Five hours of grueling history lessons, memorization of the names of each goddamn knife and fork in existence, practice of how to eat properly (as if I didn't know how to eat. Ha!), and the art of sitting up straight. And of course, to top it all off, Ciel's snickering remarks every time Sebastian had to correct me on something.

I groaned, stretching my hands out infront of me and flexing my fingers. My back ached too because- according to Sebastian- I was weak.

Damn him. Is it possible to damn someone already damned?

Oh well. I'll never know.

After leaving the dining room(forgetting to eat entirely) and just wanting to get away, I searched for the library. After a few wrong turns, I finally found the library. IT WAS HUGE! My inner fangirl was going nuts just seeing so many books.

But wait! These books were old fashioned! They probably wouldn't be interesting. Seriously, reading romance in this time period would be considered scandalous and frivolous. Plus the girls were never strong, independent women. It was mostly, 'Ahh, save me!' or 'Oh, she fainted!' I blame the corsets though for the fainting part.

Hmm, where could I find a good book? I wandered around the library, tapping my chin as I walked.

No book seemed to draw me.

"Are you looking for a specific book?" Sebastian asked from beside me.

I let out a shriek, launched myself away from him, and hissed.

"What did I say about giving me heart attack!?" I growled, putting a hand over my pounding heart.

Sebastian smirked, seeming to get a kick out of my reaction, "You don't need it anyways."

I stared at him, unsure of how to respond. So instead I just huffed and crossed my arms.

"I wasn't looking for a specific book, do you have a good one in mind?"

Sebastian paused for a moment, tilting his head before a light bulb seemed to go off. He straightened and said, "Wait here."

In a couple of seconds, Sebastian reappeared with a book in his hands. He held it out to me silently.

I grabbed it and read the title: Jane Eyre.

My eyes widened in excitement.

"Sebastian! You have perfect timing! I just watched the movie and had wanted to read the book," I squealed, twirling with the book in hand.

Sebastian looked at me oddly, "You become happy over the simplest things."

I shrugged my shoulders, "I think it's a good thing to see the positive in life."

"Or you could just be considered naive."

I frowned, "That's your opinion, but I am not naive, I know what people are capable of- I just choose to have more faith in humanity."

Sebastian sighed, biting back a reply, finally saying, "I have work to do," and disappeared without a trace.

It was times like these when I realized he was a demon and I was human (well, sort of); the disconnection between us didn't allow for much conversation. All we seemed to do was disagree.

Grumbling under my breath, I looked for a warm place to sit and read.

Sebastian's POV:

That girl, honestly… I sighed and shook my head. How could someone believe so strongly in such a filthy race? I sped down the hallways to the Lord Brat's room to finish packing his last minute belongings.

Quietly opening the door, I saw Ciel looking over some papers for the mission while sitting on his bed.

The boy didn't even glance up as I grabbed his toiletries and swiftly fit them into the suitcase.

"Sebastian, bring me some tea."

I glared at him, waiting.

When the Brat noticed I hadn't moved, he glanced up and frowned at me. "What?"

I raised my eyebrows.

After a moment's hesitation, Ciel coughed, "Please."

Much better.

I may be under contract, but that doesn't necessarily mean I don't possess power; after all, I was the one who initiated the contract in the first place. There are certain protections demons have when under contract and one of them is that they can't be forced to do extreme things that will put their own lives in danger. The others… well, now, I'll keep that to myself, won't I, dear reader? Are you shocked that I know you exist? And that there's an author?

Here's a question: how do you know this author is not being controlled by what is passing in my world? She genuinely believes she is coming up with novel ideas, but my world's events are connected to her puny little mortal mind. Look at her… she is writing this as I speak, believing she conjured this herself.

But I digress.

I was already heading back, balancing the tea cup, tea pot, and some sweets, when I saw Athena curled up in front of a window on the ground with some pillows surrounding her, reading a book as evening light streamed upon her. Her ears twitched once in awhile when she picked up background noise, but she was completely engrossed in her book. She lay under a warm blanket, head resting on a pillow propped up against the wall, yawning sleepily every so often. Her fluffy socks stuck out from under the blankets and her toes would curl up in response to something happening in the book.

She looked so warm, cuddly, fluffy, and enchanting… it reminded me of a fairytale. I was filled with longing to sit next to her and just sleep in the comfort of her presence.

Shaking my head, I quickly reminded myself of the task at hand and headed up the stairs to give Ciel his tea then come back to the window where Athena was sitting.

To my great amusement, Athena was a reader that showed all her emotions on her face. As she read, I watched her facial expressions go from grinning, to making a face, blowing out her cheeks, furrowing her brows, sometimes (to my dismay) shedding a tear or two, and then at random moments squealing in excitement. There were times when I desperately choked down my laughter at some of the faces she made, or the hilarities she would mutter at some characters in the book.

Without realizing it, my feet had pulled me closer towards the blissful scene. I crouched down next to her, but Athena didn't even notice- she was so deeply absorbed in her book.

I hesitantly tapped her shoulder with one thought in mind.

Athena jumped, snapping her head towards me. Her wide eyes quickly took in who it was.

"Seb-Sebastian?" She asked, laying a hand over her thundering heart. I knew it was racing because I could hear it. "What is it? What do you want?"

Against my will, my lips curved up into a genuine smile, "Just a small, tiny favor." I pinched my thumb and pointer finger together to show how small.

She squinted at me suspiciously, "And that favor is…?"

I pointed at the pile of pillows next to her, "May I lay here?"

She frowned, "You can't have my spot. Find another warm place to sleep."

I coughed delicately, "I don't want to take your spot, just… sleep here," I swallowed, "next to you…"

My voice trailed off as my confidence faded to dust. Never in my life did I remember being this insecure about anything. But there was a niggling memory that reminded me, yes, yes I have. Well fine, anything unrelated to her was when I had full confidence.

I was met with silence as Athena just stared at me, wide eyed.

Panic filled me and I quickly scrambled to take back my words, "Um… if you don't want to I don't mind… Really."

Sebastian, get a grip, damn you. This isn't you. You're supposed to have a silver tongue that makes all the ladies swoon.

I rose to leave when suddenly Athena's hand shot out. I flinched away, squeezing my eyes shut, awaiting a slap. To my surprise none came, instead she grabbed my arm and pulled me next to her into her pillow fort. Then she quietly went back to reading as if nothing happened.

But I knew better; I could hear her heart thumping a mile a minute. I decided against making a comment for fear of being kicked out of this safe haven.

I slowly slid down and laid on my back, staring at the white ceiling. I tilted my head slightly to look at her. Her eyes stubbornly locked on the book, refusing to look away. But when once her eyes met mine, they quickly flitted away.

She immediately covered my eyes with her hand, "Sleep!" She ordered. "Or weren't you tired?"

How did she know? Athena had always been good at reading me, even back then… And I spoke even less then than I did now. My lips quirked upwards at some old memories.

"What are you laughing at?" She demanded, still covering my eyes.

"Just happy you're here." I said. I felt drowsiness wash over me.

After a few minutes she said softly, "Me too."

Contentment and peace rolled over me as I listened to Athena's soft breathing and felt the familiar warmth of her hand. This was where I belonged; this was my home. I fell asleep to her humming a familiar tune from long ago.

BOOM, CRASH

 _Thunder and lightning roared outside the house. I shivered slightly, remembering the days when I had to endure such a weather outside._

 _I felt a warm blanket wrap around me and a gentle voice asked, "You cold?"_

 _I blinked and looked up from my seat next to the window. The owner of the house smiled warmly, waiting for a response._

 _I slowly nodded, not understanding why she was being kind to me. It wasn't like I was going to stay. As soon as my wound healed I was leaving._

 _"How are you feeling?" She asked._

 _I stared at her. Why was she asking? It wasn't like it mattered to her how a slave was feeling. Perhaps she wanted me to work in her fields. Make me feel taken care of so I would stay and then make me work the fields. I looked outside again, but she didn't have fields. Just a garden._

 _Or this might be a trick to make me stay long enough for the slave owners to come and get me. My hands tightened around the blanket. I would leave the moment I could walk._

 _She shifted uncomfortably at my nonexistent response._

 _"Ookaaay… er, are you hungry?"_

 _My stomach growled in response, making my cheeks flush in embarrassment._

 _She seemed delighted by my reaction. "You're so cute!" She exclaimed._

 _Cute? I was not cute!_

 _She happily skipped to grab two bowls and poured soup into them. She set the bowls of soup on the table then set her hands on her hips, looking at me. Striding towards me she stretched her arms out, I shrank away, wondering what she was doing._

 _"Come on," she said impatiently, "The food's not going to eat itself."_

 _I blinked. She wasn't going to hit me? Or set the soup on the floor? Didn't she realize I was a slave? Slaves don't eat at the same table as others._

 _She just rolled her eyes and wrapped her arm carefully around my waist, avoiding my wounds._

 _I grunted in pain, my legs shaking as I stood up. We slowly shuffled forward, the girl already huffing from the strain of my weight._

 _I didn't understand what this girl's goal was. What did she want from me? I didn't have anything. There was literally no meaning to my life. There was no point to my existence._

 _But she just stubbornly continued to pull me to the table when most people would've just dropped me and made me crawl towards the food._

 _She carefully lowered me on a stool and went to grab some utensils. As she set the spoon in front of me, I realized she wanted me to use it. I awkwardly waited until she sat down and carefully watched how she used the spoon._

 _When she noticed me staring, her eyebrows furrowed, "What? Is there something on my face?"_

 _I immediately looked away, embarrassed and scared. Would she kick me out now?_

 _She sucked in a sharp breath, "I'm sorry, don't be afraid. I'm not going to get angry. I don't own you, you can do as you please."_

 _My eyes widened in shock. I can do as I please?_

 _What… what does that mean?_

 _I looked back up at her through my long hair, checking if it was a cruel joke. But she was serious._

 _She smiled when she saw me looking and went back to eating, happily humming a soothing tune in between sips._

 _I took a deep breath, tears pricking my eyes, and finally picked up the spoon._

Athena's POV:

I sighed happily, finished with the book. I looked outside, realizing that it was dark outside. How could I even read in the dark? Oh wait, cats have night vision. Soft breathing reminded me that Sebastian was sleeping right next to me.

I turned my head a little to look at his face.

He would frown once in awhile, and then smile. I wondered what he was dreaming about. Shifting slightly, I found a more comfortable position and slid down, feeling sleepy as well. I yawned and pulled the covers off of me, covering Sebastian. I thought he might be cold and I had been hogging the blanket long enough. Shivering lightly when cold air touched my skin, I rose to find another blanket.

An arm shot out, stopping me.

"Where are you going?" Sebastian mumbled sleepily.

"To get a blanket," I replied, surprised.

He raised his head slightly, realizing my blanket was on him.

He grabbed it and pushed it towards me, "Here, I don't need it."

"Yes, you do," I insisted, pushing it back, "When you sleep, your body temperature goes down."

He rolled his eyes, then pulled me down next to him, pulling the blanket over both of us.

"There, now we both have a blanket."

I scowled, grumbling under my breath and suddenly freezing when he slung an arm around my waist and cuddled his face against the crook of my neck.

"Sebastian," I hissed, feeling my blood pressure spike.

No response.

I whacked him.

"What?" He whined.

Whined? Since when did Sebastian whine?

"Are you awake?" I asked, just to check.

He raised his head to stare at me blearily, "Yes, I'm awake. Now let me sleep, you're warm enough."

"You're definitely not awake."

"Yes, I am."

"No, you're not."

"Yes, I am."

I scowled, remembering I had this same argument with my friend, who was also sleepwalking at the time.

"You're not going to remember this argument when you wake up next."

"Yes, I am," he said stubbornly.

"We'll see," I stated, folding my arms and smirking.

"We'll see," he repeated, then dropped his head back down and went to sleep.

After a few minutes of silence I rolled over to face him and started messing with his face.

I poked his cheeks, stretched his mouth, pinched his nose.

I grinned, this was actually kind of fun. I just wish I had my cell phone with me to take pictures. But it was upstairs and Sebastian would wake up if I moved. I sighed, feeling my eyes droop and snuggled into him.

"You're cute," I mumbled, going to sleep.


	7. All Things Considered

The next thing I knew I was woken up with a jolt, causing me to whack my head on the ground.

"Ugh," I groaned, clutching my head, "five more minutes."

I felt the sheets get ripped off of me and a voice say, "We're leaving today, remember? We don't have time."

I turned my head slightly, cracking my eyes open, "Sebaaaaaaastiannnnn, lemme sleeeeeeeep."

Blindly searching for my blanket, I ending up grabbing his hand instead and getting pulled off the ground. I wobbled precariously on my feet and I slumped forward, resting my head on Sebastian's shoulder. He sighed and bent down a little to grab my legs; I was too sleepy to care that the world had just turned horizontal.

Comfortable and warm, I ended up blanking out for a bit. Next thing I knew I heard the clip-clop of horses. Breathing in deeply and looking around, I realized I was in a carriage with… Ciel, apparently.

"Wha… what's happening?" I asked, beginning to rouse myself up.

Ciel turned from his entertaining activity of scowling outside to scowling at me, "Today's the day we go to the villa you dim- ehem, I mean sister dear."

"Ugh," I huffed and laid back down, "Why are you acting already?"

"To practice, you baboon- I mean sister."

"I can see you're trying very hard," I said sarcastically.

He smirked, then turned his head back to the scenery outside.

I rolled over on my side of the carriage and went back to sleep. Strangely, all I dreamt about was a raven constantly asking me why a raven was like a writing desk. How the hell was I supposed to know!? Ask Edgar Allen Poe, dammit.

I was having a wonderful tea party with Alice(who was constantly complaining about why she was dressed as a girl) and the Mad Hatter, until Alice told me that if I didn't get the hell up he was kicking my arse. That woke me up _real_ fast.

My eyes fluttered open.

"Finally!" Ciel exclaimed, "She's awake!"

Cold. I was cold.

I stretched out my hands and grabbed Ciel, happily snuggling into a new (unwilling) heat source.

"Gha!" Ciel growled, "Get off me, woman!"

"Ciel," I whined, "shut up and sleep."

"You've been sleeping all day, you useless nincompoop!"

I opened one eye to glare at him, "Now is that any way to talk to your big sister? As my little brother, you should go along with what I want."

Ciel let out an angry huff but stopped struggling. "I'll have my revenge," he hissed, "just you wait."

"Oh, come on, this is nice! I'm sure you haven't hugged another human being in a long time, you robot!" I didn't mention I hadn't hugged another person in a while too.

"I was doing just fine without it! And what is a bloody robot!?"

"Uh, uhn, it doesn't matter."

Changing the subject, I quickly let go and said, "There, you wanted to leave so badly."

I closed my eyes suppressing a lump in my throat- was I that bad?

To my surprise, Ciel didn't move. I glanced at him as I saw a him looking guiltily at the ceiling.

A slow smile spread across my face, "Ciel?"

"What?" He asked grouchily as his face reddened.

"Did you want to cuddle and you were just doing the grumbling for show?"

If possible, Ciel's face got even redder.

"You're so cute!" I cooed and immediately put my arm back around him.

"I thought _I_ was cute," I heard an offended voice outside the coach.

I gasped, realizing Sebastian was the one controlling the coach and he just happened to have super hearing. "You heard that!?" I squeaked.

Ciel cleared his throat, looking between me and where Sebastian would be.

I felt my blood rush to my head. "It's not like that!" I hissed to him.

Ciel looked at me with disbelief.

"I'm serious!" I exclaimed.

Ciel just rolled his eyes and then said, "I'm going to sleep."

"Me too," I said hurriedly and closed my eyes again. I was starting to wonder how I could take so many naps in one day. Probably my cat side.

Next thing I know, Sebastian was waking us up saying that we've arrived.

"Cold," Ciel whimpered, curling into me.

"Awwwww, so cuuuuute!" I squealed happily and pulled him close, trying to keep Ciel warm.

"Sir, wake up," Sebastian barked and almost dragged the poor sleepy-eyed boy away from me.

My eyebrows shot up and I started at Sebastian. He glanced away the moment our eyes met. _Sebastian?_ He looked angry and kept glaring at Ciel.

I huffed; I didn't know what stick went up _his_ butt, but that wasn't going to ruin my mood!

Striding forward, I took in the large villa in front of me. All I could say was _wow_.

"Come along, commoner," Ciel called, striding past me.

"Um, rude," I called after him, speeding up.

After being settled with all my belongings, I headed outside to explore. Just a normal day doing normal things…

I heard a gasp behind me the moment I swung open the outside door.

"Wh… what ARE you wearing!?" Sebastian stuttered.

 _Did he stutter? What is this!? Am I on the right planet!?_

I happened to be wearing jeggings with a blouse and a jacket hung around my waist. I slowly turned, doing my best to look innocent, "What, you haven't seen clothes before?"

"What's left of it," his eyes scanned me from top to bottom.

"These are the clothes people wear in my time period," I stated, putting my hands on my hips.

His just continued staring at me, his jaw slack.

"Stop staring!" I exclaimed, feeling violated.

"That's your fault. Besides, I always stare at you."

"What?" I asked confused.

"What?" Sebastian repeated, blinking innocently.

I rolled my eyes to the heavens and turned back to the door.

"Be back before dinner," called Sebastian after me. "And don't talk to men… no, don't talk to ANYONE dressed like that!"

"Yes, mother!" I happily dashed outside.

 _Ah, sweet freedom!_ I could move my legs and tail freely without a dress constricting my movements. I sprinted towards a forest, excited to explore.

After a few hours, I automatically reached for my phone to check the time.

5:30 P.M.

I'd better head back.

After a few minutes of strolling through the forest, I suddenly paused.

 _Wait a minute. How is my phone at 80%? It should be dead by now!_

Extremely confused, I pulled out my phone again. After a few more minutes of scrolling through pictures at full brightness, I saw the battery percentage still didn't go down. What the hell? Did this mean that as I went back in time, time stopped for everything that came with me? Did that mean time had stopped for me as well?

I continued thinking about this issue as I strode back to the villa. If I was a physicist, I'd probably write a bunch of theories and do experiments to test what I'd just discovered.

…But I wasn't. I was too lazy to learn.

And pretty damn hungry too.

On cue, my stomach growled.

Sebastian opened the dining room door, pausing a moment to glare at me and say, "You haven't changed yet?"

"Nope," I said, popping my 'p'.

He hesitated for a minute, then muttering angrily under his breath, stepped back to let me in.

One small step for woman, one giant leap for mankind.

I blew him a kiss, "Thanks!"

As soon as I stepped in, Ciel smacked a hand over his eyes and screeched, "What ARE you WEARING!?"

Finny and Bard (who happened to be there) also started tripping all over the place and screaming, "Where's the door!? Where's the door!?" because they were too busy staring at me with horrified expressions.

I started to laugh. "Oh my god," I wheezed, "You guys are acting like you've seen a monster."

"No, we've seen INDECENT EXPOSURE," Ciel raged.

At this point I was on the ground and banging my fists on the floor at the hilarity. Finny and Bard were still running around like headless chickens.

"ENOUGH!" Sebastian boomed, "YOU'RE ALL ACTING LIKE CHILDREN."

Everyone fell silent (except for me, who was still gasping for air).

"Finny, Bard, leave," he snapped.

Finny and Bard fearfully collected themselves and hurried away. Geez, they didn't deserve that kind of treatment.

Sebastian snapped his head towards me and tossed me a blanket, saying, "Cover yourself, it's vulgar; think of the Phantomhive reputation if others see you."

I caught the blanket in midair, annoyed that Sebastian only cared about one's reputation and not the person himself. Did that mean he didn't care about me? Was I a game as well? I wanted to kick him for messing with my feelings like this. I _knew_ I shouldn't have these… these _feelings,_ but _no_ , I just had to act like a schoolgirl and throw myself head-first into a relationship. Well… almost relationship. What were Sebastian and I? Friends with benefits-minus-the-benefits-but-almost-there? Although, after this little spat, I wanted to demote him from friends to cow manure.

Thinking it was probably best not to make Sebastian too angry, I wrapped the blanket around me. Plus, I thought their reactions were funny at first but I didn't want to make everyone around me uncomfortable _-_ what I was wearing was considered vulgar in this time period. Besides, I was cold.

I quickly stated, "I'm not doing this because you ordered me to, but because I was cold." I didn't want him to think he could boss me around all the time. I was a strong independent woman, dammit!

He scowled at me and turned back to serving Ciel.

I huffed. What a jerk.

I pulled out my chair and slumped in the seat.

"Your back!" Barked Sebastian.

With a lot of grumbling I straightened my back. Why was he in such a bratty mood? What did I do!?

I clenched my teeth and fists, desperately trying to stifle my rising anger. Today was not the day to piss me off. I should have known the day was going to be bad the moment I smacked my head on the ground this morning.

Grouchily, I grabbed the food in front of me while taking care to follow the utensil lessons the bastard had given me earlier.

I perked up, suddenly getting a genius idea and hopping out of my seat, throwing the blanket off in the process.

I waved Sebastian over as I hurried to the door. He raised his eyebrows and grumpily stalked to my side.

I pulled him out of Ciel's view and told Ciel, "I need Sebastian to help me with something. We'll be right back!"

Sebastian followed me silently for a few steps before stopping to ask me and asking, "What do you need help with?"

I stopped, twirling around to look at him silently in the eyes. Time to put my plan in action.

I took a deep breath to calm my racing heart. Stretching out my hands, I grabbed Sebastian in a hug, burying my face against his chest and squeezing my eyes shut. The Make-Sebastian's-Cranky-Attitude-Disappear Plan would only work if he hugged me back.

To my immense relief, he did he hug me back. Pressing his cheek on the top of my head he asked, "What's this for?"

"To make you feel better; you're angry at me for some reason," I mumbled, my words muffled.

He sighed heavily, tightening his arms around me, "I'm a damfool, that's why."

"Eh?" I pulled my head back to stare at him, my cat ears perking up.

His cheeks turned pink and placing a hand on my cheek, he said, "I was- I was," he paused for the longest time.

I smiled, leaning in, my tail swishing wildly, "Yes? Yes? You were what?"

He looked away embarrassedly, "...Jealous. Probably! Yes, probably!"

I threw my head back and laughed, "Probably!? Why were you jealous?"

He huffed, his cheeks turning even more pink, "Remember how I constantly wanted you to get changed into… less exposing clothes?"

My face froze, processing that bit of top secret information.

DING! A light bulb popped in my head.

"Oh. OH!" I gasped, getting it.

He looked shy and embarrassed, "Stop right now, I do not want to talk about it! This is positively mortifying, all things considered."

Sebastian shy? This was too cute!

I let out an evil laugh in my mind, thinking, _The tables have turned, Sebastian._ _Now_ you're _the one on the receiving end!_

Desperately a suppressing freakish smile, I pressed, " 'All things considered'?"

He suddenly smirked, letting me know he was back on top.

He grabbed my chin and pulled my face closer to his, "Here I thought I was a mature, grown, man who could perfectly control his-," he paused, looking at me heatedly and tilting my head to press a soft kiss against the corner of my mouth, "desire."

I shuddered, warmth shooting through me. My fingers tightened around his shoulders, barely managing to keep myself upright.

He continued ignoring my state of disarray, "And yet when I see you, it's like the lid I have is popped open. It's like I'm thrown into a hurricane, being flung from side to side."

Yeah, you and me both buddy.

"Sometimes I want to strangle you and other times..." he licked his lips, running a finger from my jaw to my collarbone.

Now I knew what it was like to be a mouse staring at the teeth of a cat. I wanted to run, but my blasted legs were frozen in place.

"...I want to lock you up and do some simply," he leaned in to purr in my ear, " _scandalous_ things."

I sucked in a sharp breath, jerking my head away to stare at him, wide eyed.

His eyes softened, cupping my face and leaning in, just a hair's breadth away from my lips.

"May I?" He murmured softly.

 _YES!_ I wanted to scream.

Unable to trust my voice, I nodded timidly.

He immediately crushed his lips against mine, pulling me against him.

It was like a dam had broken. I could hear a roar in my ears and my heart was pounding so quickly I thought it might burst out of my chest and sirens rang through my head and I could hear tiny voices screaming to 'abort mission'.

My sane part told me to get him the hell off before I fell in love.

But the larger, more insane part said, _But his lips are so soft,_ and I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him closer.

He pulled back and I gasped for breath. When he kissed me it felt like I was drowning and running a marathon at the same time.

"You taste so sweet," he mumbled, running a thumb over my lower lip. Something in me had obviously snapped because I wanted to kiss him again; in fact, I almost pulled him down only to pause mid-motion when we heard Ciel shouting for us.

I immediately let go, my sense of decency returning. He reluctantly let go and checked the time, "Oh dear, Ciel must be wondering where we are."

I could care less at this moment, I could barely stand!

He smiled coyly at me, "We wouldn't want him to think anything _compromising_ happened."

Embarrassment shot through me. Damn him! I was seriously going to kill him!

I wildly shooed him away and he left, chuckling at my movements.

I crumpled to the ground once I lost sight of Sebastian, not wanting him to know that his kiss had been _that_ mind blowing. It would go straight to his head.

After a few minutes of regaining strength in my legs I managed to stand, my legs still shaking. Ciel would be wondering where I was.

I shook myself, hoping to gain my confidence back that had just been scattered in the wind. Honestly, I just wanted to go hide somewhere until I could control my jittery self and suppress everything that happened.

 _But how do you forget your first kiss?_

Ahhh! Sebastian just _had_ to imprint this moment in my brain!

My legs stopped just outside the dining room as I heard Sebastian and Ciel quietly talking.

My stomach twisted as my heart rate when up a notch. I wanted to run and burn off the adrenaline coursing through my body.

As I worked up my courage through a couple of breathing exercises, I didn't hear Sebastian open the door.

"Are you coming in, or are you just going to stand there all day?" He asked, leaning against the door, his eyes dancing mischievously.

 _God, he was beautiful._

"Of course not!" I exclaimed, my voice coming out unusually high. I squeezed past Sebastian since only one of the doors was open and he wasn't moving, bringing our faces too close for comfort. He gave a wolfish smile, obviously aware of the chaos going through my mind.

 _The bloody butler was toying with me!_ I glared at him.

"Hmph," I turned my head and marched to my seat.

Ciel looked between us, "Did something happen?"

"Huh?" I brought my eyebrows together, confused.

"It's like you two switched places," he stated.

"What?" I asked.

"Sebastian was in a bad mood and you were chipper, and now you're in a bad mood and Sebastian seems to be having a party," Ciel stated, cutting into his half-eaten steak.

 _Oh you sweet, sweet, child, you have no idea._

I turned my head to scowl at Sebastian who was smugly grinning from across the table.

He folded his arms across his chest, impishly grinning, "Yes, Thena, do tell. What happened?"

Well darn, Sebastian might as well have thrown me to the hellhounds. I couldn't lie to save my life!

"Um, uh," I nervously toyed with my hands, my heart rate going up again. I didn't think I could handle anymore stress.

"Yes?" Sebastian stretched out the word, prompting me to speak.

 _I'm thinking, darn it! Don't rush me!_

"You see, well, I was just asking Sebastian if he could help me carry something from the kitchen…" I started hesitantly.

"And?" Ciel asked, leaning his head on the palm of his hand.

"And?" I squeaked and quickly cleared my throat, "And, uh, Sebastian dropped it… on my foot!"

Ciel's eyebrows shot up, "Sebastian actually dropped something!? Impossible, Sebastian is never careless."

I looked at Sebastian, seeing his grin start to disappear and a crease appear between his brows. _Ha, that might knock you down a peg!_

"He _isn't_ perfect- in fact, I could give him pointers on his…um, carrying technique," I evilly grinned, leaning my head on the back of my clasped hands.

He rolled his eyes, "I'm completely sure you've never… carried… anyo-any _thing_ in your life, so whose technique are you comparing it to?"

I blew out my cheeks angrily and blurted out a complete lie, "My uh- teddy bear!"

There was silence. I just realized what I implied was super embarrassing. I was basically digging my own grave.

Ciel broke the silence by stating, "Er, as far as I know, teddy bears can't carry _anything_."

Great.

I quickly covered up, "Um, in the future, yes, _far_ into the future teddy bears can carry… stuff."

It wasn't technically a lie since maybe waaaayyy past my time teddy bears will be robots and I didn't state what _exactly_ they carried.

At this point I saw that Sebastian was standing behind Ciel's seat, hunched over and shaking.

Was he having a seizure? I squinted and realized he was covering his mouth, desperately trying to contain his laughter.

He pushed this situation onto me and now he was _laughing!?_ I was going to strangle him! But seeing him laugh was so contagious that I started to crack up. At this point I was laughing so hard tears were running down my face and my nonexistent abs were aching.

Ciel started to panic, "What's wrong with you!? What's so funny!?" He exclaimed, wild-eyed.

I couldn't even speak, I was laughing so hard.

"Sebastian!" Ciel shouted, "There's something wrong with Thena!"

At no response, Ciel turned to see Sebastian still hunched over. "Seb- Gyaa! What's wrong with _you!?_ Is there some sort of gas in the air that I'm immune to!?"

I couldn't handle it any more. I threw myself off the seat and onto the ground, banging my fist on the ground.

"Oh, it hurts," I sobbed, "This is too funny!"

Sebastian struggled to crawl to me gasping, "T-teddy bears. Oh, my god, teddy bears."

I laughed, tears starting to subside, but knowing anything could throw me in fits again.

Sebastian reached me, throwing his arms around my waist and burying his face against my stomach, still laughing.

I giggled, patting his back.

He let out a sigh, lifting his head to look at me. Momentary eye contact sent us into laughing fits again.

At this point, my stomach muscle were burning and I knew anymore and I wouldn't be able to breath. I forced my lungs to suck in air and calm myself down.

We were quiet for a few minute, Sebastian still had his head buried against my stomach.

I softly ran my fingers through his silky hair. Jesus, what kind of conditioner did this dude use? I needed to know his secret.

He sighed contentedly, rubbing his face against my stomach.

"Wha-!" I shouted, hitting his head accidentally. "That tickles! Don't do that!"

"Sorry," he said lifting his head to lean against his left hand.

He smiled softly, reaching out to touch my cheek, "I was right, you take the lid off of my emotions."

A smile lit up my face and I opened my mouth to respond, "I-"

"Would you two mind explaining what in blue blazes is going on!?" Ciel cut in.

We both froze. Sebastian and I stared at each other wide eyed.

"Drat," Sebastian muttered.

I nodded in agreement. "Drat indeed."


End file.
